Caitlyn Jenner Is Hopeful—Nothing More—About the Future of the Republican Party

CLEVELAND, OHIO–Well, it wasn't exactly Breakfast at Tiffany's. But Breakfast with Caitlyn did have a certain charm. With the Convention locked in on one TV star reality, it was nice to view some distaff programming.

Jenner was the featured speaker at Wednesday morning's "Big Tent" brunch organized by pro-LGBT conservatives and hosted by American Unity Fund, the super PAC started by hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer. The "most famous Republican in the world," as Unity Fund president Margaret Hoover called her, started off on a humorous note. "It was easy to come out as trans," Jenner confessed. "It was harder to come out as a Republican!"

"I get it," she continued. "The Democratic Party does a better job when it comes to the LGBT and trans community and all of that … The Republican Party needs to understand. They need to know people who are trans."

Jenner may have transitioned with grace, but as a politically aware human being, she's still a work in progress. "I feel like our best hope to get back to constitutional government with 18 enumerated powers is in the Republican Party," the life-long Republican explained. Prioritizing hope over real experience—this week, the GOP approved a platform that defines marriage as the "union of one man and one woman," condemns same-sex parenting, and attacks the Obama administration for directing schools to allow transgender students to use restrooms and other facilities that match their gender identities–is a hallmark of reality TV.

Jenner set off a small firestorm in the trans community in March when she shared with the Advocateher vision for becoming President Ted Cruz's trans ambassador.

"I like Ted Cruz," Jenner told the Advocate. "I think he's very conservative and a great constitutionalist and a very articulate man. I haven't endorsed him or anything like that. But I also think, he's an evangelical Christian, and probably one of the worst ones when it comes to trans issues." But as his ambassador, Jenner could say, "'Ted, love what you're doing, but here's what's going on.'"

For his part, the un-nominated and ambassador-free Cruz took that—and Jenner's subsequent back peddling—as an invitation to get in a pissing match with Jenner. Jenner then took to Facebook, where she posted a clip of herself taking Donald Trump up on his invitation to use the ladies' room in Trump Tower.

But that was yesterday's news. On Wednesday morning, Jenner pointed out the bathroom issue had been "used politically for many, many, many, many years." She observed that not too long ago, bathrooms in the South were segregated by race, protecting white users from imagined dangers. And she went on to note that in the past few years, three Republican state representatives had been arrested for "lewd behavior" in men's restrooms. During the same time period, no transgender people were arrested for using the wrong bathroom.

"Maybe what we should do is ban Republican representatives at a state level from being in the men's room," Jenner joked.

Jenner said she remains "hopeful" about the party's future. "I would tell the Republicans, I would tell Donald, there are people out there who have been marginalized for so many years," Jenner said. "We need to deal with it properly. We need to be open about it. It is about the kids, it's about the next generation growing up… me, I always thought I was alone."

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